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Stranded!
Oceans Delano and Marshall Cohen could not be any different. She is a shy Jamaican born woman returning to the states after her father's death. Marshall Cohen is a privileged young business man traveling out of the country to engage in 'sketchy' business dealings for his boss. When their small plane crashes, the two lone survivors are forced to depend on each other and in the process they learn to face their fears and to accept their differences. Oceans and Marshall embark on a journey of courage, love, passion and sometimes hate. This multicultural romance is intended for mature audiences due to graphic descriptions and frank language.
197 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 12, 2011
51 people are currently reading
1004 people want to read
About the author
Pepper Pace
66 books841 followersWho is Pepper Pace?
Pepper Pace is the pen name used by the author. Born and raised in Cincinnati, she has always enjoyed creativity. At a very young age, Pepper had a gift for art and would spend most of her spare time drawing images that she later began adding stories behind. Soon writing became more important than the illustrations and though she still loved art, it took a back seat to her real love.
Pepper wrote her first novel when she was 12 years old and had written 2 more by the age of 18. Too shy to share her work with anyone, Pepper stock piled her many stories into notebooks until she came upon Literotica.com and was compelled to share her craft.
Pepper became instantly popular and won several awards each year in which she submitted a story to the site. After receiving popular feedback, she grew in confidence and created a popular blog entitled Writing Feedback where she encourages her readers to interact with her on topics concerning, music, writing, art and pop culture, and can be contacted at her blog:
pepperpacefeedback.blogspot.com/
Pepper lives in Cincinnati where many of her characters also reside.
Other Websites:
http://pepperpacefeedback.blogspot.com/
http://pepperpace.tumblr.com/
Pepper Pace is the pen name used by the author. Born and raised in Cincinnati, she has always enjoyed creativity. At a very young age, Pepper had a gift for art and would spend most of her spare time drawing images that she later began adding stories behind. Soon writing became more important than the illustrations and though she still loved art, it took a back seat to her real love.
Pepper wrote her first novel when she was 12 years old and had written 2 more by the age of 18. Too shy to share her work with anyone, Pepper stock piled her many stories into notebooks until she came upon Literotica.com and was compelled to share her craft.
Pepper became instantly popular and won several awards each year in which she submitted a story to the site. After receiving popular feedback, she grew in confidence and created a popular blog entitled Writing Feedback where she encourages her readers to interact with her on topics concerning, music, writing, art and pop culture, and can be contacted at her blog:
pepperpacefeedback.blogspot.com/
Pepper lives in Cincinnati where many of her characters also reside.
Other Websites:
http://pepperpacefeedback.blogspot.com/
http://pepperpace.tumblr.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
July 12, 2013
I started reading this early this morning when I couldn't sleep, and I finished the whole book in that short time. This is really one of those unputdownable reads. I was compelled by and drawn into the dramatic situation that Oceans and Marshall faced.
I always enjoy a good survival on the elements book, and Pace excelled with this novel about two people who end up being stranded on a Caribbean deserted island and have to make a life there for the time being until they are rescued. This book is incredibly realistic about survival on a deserted island, including the risks and privations that people would face. Emotionally, Pace goes there. She involves you with Oceans and Marshall, makes you fall in love with them, and walk in their shoes in a way that doesn't leave you unaffected when the book is over. I can honestly say that Marshall is the kind of man I would want to be stranded on an island with. He steps up to the plate in so many ways. While he isn't a chest-thumping, stereotypical alpha, he shows all the traits that a mature man should have in a desperate situation and when he has a family to protect and care for. Oceans was also an incredible character. Her ability to adapt and survive and to use her knowledge of the islands to help them both survive really made me admire her. She is the kind of more realistic heroine I would like to see in romance novels. Not perfect, but perfectly lovable.
One aspect of this story was utterly heartbreaking. I felt the pain and anguish that both Oceans and Marshall faced, and I didn't think I would recover (it really hurt me on a deep level). It was one of those situations where I didn't agree with the choice made, but I still love and respected the person who made it, and like the other party involved, I had to decide if I was going to move past it for the greater good. I was so glad that things ended up working out in the end. While I still would have loved this book, I love it more the way things ended than if they had gone in a different way, just because that is such a tough, wounding situation to read about. I don't think either party in this book could have walked away whole from that. I can imagine it's even worse if you lived it.
I loved the fact that love blossoms realistically and intensely, and the sexual content wasn't the focus, although it was a big part of the novel. There were so many emotional depths to plumb that I would have felt cheated if this book was mainly sex scenes. I think a very good point was made about how sex is a way to express intimacy between two people, but certainly not the only way. And the fact that Pace shows the real consequences of sexual intimacy on a couple, good and not so good.
This is one of those books that lingers on the mind, making an indelible imprint on the emotions. I was very glad I got the opportunity to read Stranded, and Pace has upped the bar for stranded/marooned/survival romance for me. While not a perfect read, it's very close for me.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
I always enjoy a good survival on the elements book, and Pace excelled with this novel about two people who end up being stranded on a Caribbean deserted island and have to make a life there for the time being until they are rescued. This book is incredibly realistic about survival on a deserted island, including the risks and privations that people would face. Emotionally, Pace goes there. She involves you with Oceans and Marshall, makes you fall in love with them, and walk in their shoes in a way that doesn't leave you unaffected when the book is over. I can honestly say that Marshall is the kind of man I would want to be stranded on an island with. He steps up to the plate in so many ways. While he isn't a chest-thumping, stereotypical alpha, he shows all the traits that a mature man should have in a desperate situation and when he has a family to protect and care for. Oceans was also an incredible character. Her ability to adapt and survive and to use her knowledge of the islands to help them both survive really made me admire her. She is the kind of more realistic heroine I would like to see in romance novels. Not perfect, but perfectly lovable.
One aspect of this story was utterly heartbreaking. I felt the pain and anguish that both Oceans and Marshall faced, and I didn't think I would recover (it really hurt me on a deep level). It was one of those situations where I didn't agree with the choice made, but I still love and respected the person who made it, and like the other party involved, I had to decide if I was going to move past it for the greater good. I was so glad that things ended up working out in the end. While I still would have loved this book, I love it more the way things ended than if they had gone in a different way, just because that is such a tough, wounding situation to read about. I don't think either party in this book could have walked away whole from that. I can imagine it's even worse if you lived it.
I loved the fact that love blossoms realistically and intensely, and the sexual content wasn't the focus, although it was a big part of the novel. There were so many emotional depths to plumb that I would have felt cheated if this book was mainly sex scenes. I think a very good point was made about how sex is a way to express intimacy between two people, but certainly not the only way. And the fact that Pace shows the real consequences of sexual intimacy on a couple, good and not so good.
This is one of those books that lingers on the mind, making an indelible imprint on the emotions. I was very glad I got the opportunity to read Stranded, and Pace has upped the bar for stranded/marooned/survival romance for me. While not a perfect read, it's very close for me.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
February 2, 2018
Dnf at 60%
Last weekend I decided to kick back and relax with a David Attenborough documentary (yes, that's how I spent my Friday nights, don't judge me) and I really wanted to read a wilderness survival romance book. Man vs. The wild. Lack of modern conveniences. Adapting to a primitive lifestyle. How interesting would that be?
So I looked around for a bit until I found this book. The story is straightforward enough, a rich accountant and a Jamaican woman are in a private jet when it suddenly crashes and leaves them stranded on a deserted island. They have to survive on their own until help arrives. Now isn't that interesting? The heroine, Oceans, previously worked as a telemarketer and the hero, Marshall, is an accountant with no survival training. These people have no experience at all with the wilderness so they would have to struggle quite a lot just to get by, right?
Nope. This island should be named the Most Convenient Island to be Stranded In Ever™ Everything they ever want magically appears in some form or the other on this island. And what's not there, like knives, lighters and other stuff, is given to the characters by the author in the form of some convenient excuse, like ohhh, the pilot is eaten by the sharks but his parachute is conveniently floating by right near the edge of the island. Yaaaay.
When you say the hero is an accountant, I imagine he would look something like this guy:
Only hotter of course, God forbid there are any ordinary looking heroes in romance. Y'all normal folks can just GTFO.
But apparently, according to the author an accountant has the ability to
-Build a fire by rubbing sticks
-Catch fish with his bare hands
-Forge perfectly usable weapons and pots from scrap metal
Huh? Do you really mean this guy? THIS GUY :
Look at him. So he can do all that. Well, suuure.
Oceans is an ex-telemarketer who calls herself an island girl even though she spent the majority of her life in America and some part of it in Jamaica caring for her sick father.
Even though she worked in an office more of her life, she knows EVERYTHING there is to know about herbs and roots. Seriously, Oceans would put a botanist to shame. She can do stuff like:
-Making soap out of bare hands
-Skinning animals and cooking them (she's not even slightly queasy about blood and guts)
-Expertly removing toxins from poisonous roots and making dough and other foodstuff from them.
The list would go on and on. The more I read the more unbelievable it felt. Marshall and Oceans act like survival experts rather than ordinary people who got stuck in a tough situation. I didn't feel any sense of danger or desperation from them, which is what the essence of a wilderness survival novel should be.
This just kept turning into some weird soap opera instead of a wilderness survival. The author throws an Oops!Baby into the mix, because, why not? Oceans doesn't want it and decides to terminate the pregnancy. Marshall gives her the cold shoulder because of that for...idk, six months? At that point I just decided to call it quits.
Far braver people than me have read all the way to the end and even gave the book a good rating, so maybe it's just the ol' me-not-you situation going on here. But if you want a believable wilderness romance, this is definitely not it.
Last weekend I decided to kick back and relax with a David Attenborough documentary (yes, that's how I spent my Friday nights, don't judge me) and I really wanted to read a wilderness survival romance book. Man vs. The wild. Lack of modern conveniences. Adapting to a primitive lifestyle. How interesting would that be?
So I looked around for a bit until I found this book. The story is straightforward enough, a rich accountant and a Jamaican woman are in a private jet when it suddenly crashes and leaves them stranded on a deserted island. They have to survive on their own until help arrives. Now isn't that interesting? The heroine, Oceans, previously worked as a telemarketer and the hero, Marshall, is an accountant with no survival training. These people have no experience at all with the wilderness so they would have to struggle quite a lot just to get by, right?
Nope. This island should be named the Most Convenient Island to be Stranded In Ever™ Everything they ever want magically appears in some form or the other on this island. And what's not there, like knives, lighters and other stuff, is given to the characters by the author in the form of some convenient excuse, like ohhh, the pilot is eaten by the sharks but his parachute is conveniently floating by right near the edge of the island. Yaaaay.
When you say the hero is an accountant, I imagine he would look something like this guy:
Only hotter of course, God forbid there are any ordinary looking heroes in romance. Y'all normal folks can just GTFO.But apparently, according to the author an accountant has the ability to
-Build a fire by rubbing sticks
-Catch fish with his bare hands
-Forge perfectly usable weapons and pots from scrap metal
Huh? Do you really mean this guy? THIS GUY :
Look at him. So he can do all that. Well, suuure. Oceans is an ex-telemarketer who calls herself an island girl even though she spent the majority of her life in America and some part of it in Jamaica caring for her sick father.
Even though she worked in an office more of her life, she knows EVERYTHING there is to know about herbs and roots. Seriously, Oceans would put a botanist to shame. She can do stuff like:
-Making soap out of bare hands
-Skinning animals and cooking them (she's not even slightly queasy about blood and guts)
-Expertly removing toxins from poisonous roots and making dough and other foodstuff from them.
The list would go on and on. The more I read the more unbelievable it felt. Marshall and Oceans act like survival experts rather than ordinary people who got stuck in a tough situation. I didn't feel any sense of danger or desperation from them, which is what the essence of a wilderness survival novel should be.
This just kept turning into some weird soap opera instead of a wilderness survival. The author throws an Oops!Baby into the mix, because, why not? Oceans doesn't want it and decides to terminate the pregnancy. Marshall gives her the cold shoulder because of that for...idk, six months? At that point I just decided to call it quits.
Far braver people than me have read all the way to the end and even gave the book a good rating, so maybe it's just the ol' me-not-you situation going on here. But if you want a believable wilderness romance, this is definitely not it.
March 20, 2012
Well I tell you I love finding jem writers and that is exactly what Pepper Pace is. She took me by surprise with this story. I was expecting another erotic tale about two people being stranded and getting the hots for each other and doing the do all through the book, you know, same o same o story right? I was so wrong on so many levels this was waayy off the rector scale of what I had assumed.
Let me see there is so much that can be said about this story I dont know where to begin, so um, so let me start with giving you the story of two strangers on there way back to there own separate merry lives on a small plane when it suddenly goes down in the ocean. Now the realism in this story is what grabbed me it was like I was there going through everything and it made me think too. What the heck would I do if this would happen to me? I tell you I wouldn't last a day I'd be dead, seriously. The way she put these to characters together to help them survie was mind blowing. I would have never thought about what fruits you can and can't eat what plants and roots you can use to make flour and medicine. Oceans being from the islands grew up with women who knew and taught how to make things from 'nature sources' Marshall had some engineering experience in college so he knew how to make things. So with those two and their knowledge of those things they were able to survie. Now for the love story it was more about how they came together by doing the necessary daily things to survie that their love grew for the other and it was bitter sweet. Yes they were attracted to the other, yes there was sex, but it wasn't the focus. It was more on how love can grow and bonds can be made in situation like this. And how even if your stranded on an island or living your daily life in a big city or small town relationships and being in love are and will always be something worth fighting for. Pepper Pace tells a story of two strangers who become more than just friends they become soul mates.
I am a lover of males of worth in my stories I read and Marshall was one of them he was true to his feelings from the get go, he was so real to me he didn't act all macho, he was scared and he was protective also. There are two parts where he had me crying the main one was when he oh I can't tell you, you have got to just read it but I will say this when he cries you will too. It will make you think on a lot of levels of how we don't let men have choices when it comes to women issues you have to read it to know what I'm talking about or pm me and I'll tell you.lol But oh did he make my heart break and rethink some things about our choices we make. HIs love for Oceans was a Titanic worth love.
Now as much as I love males of worth there have been only a few books that I have read where the heroine was a female of worth. Ocean's was a female of worth. I. loved. her. She was a strong and a very smart woman I loved her way of thinking. She was a true survivor and she really put me in her shoes. Her outer and inner beauty had me smiling and crying the whole book. Her love for Marshall was so deep and honest.
Pepper Pace has a new fan and I will be reading all her books. I actually had to add this book myself here on goodreads because it was not listed. You have got to check out the rest of her books I've sampled more and they are all on my to-read list and yes I have to add them on here too. Her writing is that good. I recommend this to all my friends who want a real love story not smut not just all about attraction and lust but of true undeniable, unquestionable, irrevocably without a doubt, love that will make your heart fill with joy after you have read it. This is the book for you.
Here is my couple Marshall and Oceans Happy reading!!! :) Oh and I have to add the theme song for this book was Sure Thing by Miguel because they were a sure thing.
Let me see there is so much that can be said about this story I dont know where to begin, so um, so let me start with giving you the story of two strangers on there way back to there own separate merry lives on a small plane when it suddenly goes down in the ocean. Now the realism in this story is what grabbed me it was like I was there going through everything and it made me think too. What the heck would I do if this would happen to me? I tell you I wouldn't last a day I'd be dead, seriously. The way she put these to characters together to help them survie was mind blowing. I would have never thought about what fruits you can and can't eat what plants and roots you can use to make flour and medicine. Oceans being from the islands grew up with women who knew and taught how to make things from 'nature sources' Marshall had some engineering experience in college so he knew how to make things. So with those two and their knowledge of those things they were able to survie. Now for the love story it was more about how they came together by doing the necessary daily things to survie that their love grew for the other and it was bitter sweet. Yes they were attracted to the other, yes there was sex, but it wasn't the focus. It was more on how love can grow and bonds can be made in situation like this. And how even if your stranded on an island or living your daily life in a big city or small town relationships and being in love are and will always be something worth fighting for. Pepper Pace tells a story of two strangers who become more than just friends they become soul mates.
I am a lover of males of worth in my stories I read and Marshall was one of them he was true to his feelings from the get go, he was so real to me he didn't act all macho, he was scared and he was protective also. There are two parts where he had me crying the main one was when he oh I can't tell you, you have got to just read it but I will say this when he cries you will too. It will make you think on a lot of levels of how we don't let men have choices when it comes to women issues you have to read it to know what I'm talking about or pm me and I'll tell you.lol But oh did he make my heart break and rethink some things about our choices we make. HIs love for Oceans was a Titanic worth love.
Now as much as I love males of worth there have been only a few books that I have read where the heroine was a female of worth. Ocean's was a female of worth. I. loved. her. She was a strong and a very smart woman I loved her way of thinking. She was a true survivor and she really put me in her shoes. Her outer and inner beauty had me smiling and crying the whole book. Her love for Marshall was so deep and honest.
Pepper Pace has a new fan and I will be reading all her books. I actually had to add this book myself here on goodreads because it was not listed. You have got to check out the rest of her books I've sampled more and they are all on my to-read list and yes I have to add them on here too. Her writing is that good. I recommend this to all my friends who want a real love story not smut not just all about attraction and lust but of true undeniable, unquestionable, irrevocably without a doubt, love that will make your heart fill with joy after you have read it. This is the book for you.
Here is my couple Marshall and Oceans Happy reading!!! :) Oh and I have to add the theme song for this book was Sure Thing by Miguel because they were a sure thing.
May 24, 2012
Description: When Oceans Delano, a shy Jamaican woman and Marshall Cohen, a privileged-but-somewhat-shady white businessman are stranded on an island together, they must fight to survive and to navigate their growing love for one another.
The Good: This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, and therefore my “loved” list is rather long. LOVED: all the details about survival — it felt really real, the cultural touches from the heroine’s Jamaican background, the slow burn toward sex — and that it delivered on its promise, the gritty situations, the high-stakes sex, and the realistic conflict. The stakes were high and the story was told in such a way that I truly did not know what would happen next. Pepper Pace is a very special writer and a credit to the IR genre. When people talk about really good books that would have gotten rejected by a Big Six publishing house, because they wouldn’t have known what to do with it, they’re talking about books like STRANDED.
The Bad: The plot was crack-a-lacking. The characters were on point. But unfortunately this story suffers from lots of typos and some really serious abuse of exclamation marks and CAPS. These take you out of the story and keep it from making it into A+ territory.
The Naughty: Steamy. Very gritty sex. Truly difficult situations surrounding sex.
Editing issues: Lots of typos.
Publisher: Indie
Length: 146 pages (Amazon estimated length)
Final Grade: A-
Happy Reading,
Theodora from irbookreviews.com
The Good: This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, and therefore my “loved” list is rather long. LOVED: all the details about survival — it felt really real, the cultural touches from the heroine’s Jamaican background, the slow burn toward sex — and that it delivered on its promise, the gritty situations, the high-stakes sex, and the realistic conflict. The stakes were high and the story was told in such a way that I truly did not know what would happen next. Pepper Pace is a very special writer and a credit to the IR genre. When people talk about really good books that would have gotten rejected by a Big Six publishing house, because they wouldn’t have known what to do with it, they’re talking about books like STRANDED.
The Bad: The plot was crack-a-lacking. The characters were on point. But unfortunately this story suffers from lots of typos and some really serious abuse of exclamation marks and CAPS. These take you out of the story and keep it from making it into A+ territory.
The Naughty: Steamy. Very gritty sex. Truly difficult situations surrounding sex.
Editing issues: Lots of typos.
Publisher: Indie
Length: 146 pages (Amazon estimated length)
Final Grade: A-
Happy Reading,
Theodora from irbookreviews.com
May 29, 2015
The premise of woman and man of opposite natures being ship/plane-wrecked on a deserted island is a great premise that seems to always work with such exciting possibilities. I cannot help recall Lina Wertmuller's film about the Communist waiter who worked on the rich bitch's yacht and they end up shipwrecked together. Then of course was the Harrison Ford film, Six Days, Seven Nights.
So Stranded, about a black Jamaican woman and a white collar white dude filling those roles, was bound to be a winner at the hand of Pepper Pace, a great story teller of interracial romance.
Our protagonists are Oceans Delano and Marshall Cohen. We watch the relationship between Oceans and Marshall grow from strangers on the plane to partners trying to survive on a remote tropical island. In the face of adversity they must work together to survive. The slow build-up of their relationship and the pain and sweetness of falling in love keeps the reader going. And it is so delicious when they do come together. The story telling is vivid enough to picture, and the characters are painfully human This is my first story by Ms. Pace, I am looking forward to many more. I am definitely a new fan!
So Stranded, about a black Jamaican woman and a white collar white dude filling those roles, was bound to be a winner at the hand of Pepper Pace, a great story teller of interracial romance.
Our protagonists are Oceans Delano and Marshall Cohen. We watch the relationship between Oceans and Marshall grow from strangers on the plane to partners trying to survive on a remote tropical island. In the face of adversity they must work together to survive. The slow build-up of their relationship and the pain and sweetness of falling in love keeps the reader going. And it is so delicious when they do come together. The story telling is vivid enough to picture, and the characters are painfully human This is my first story by Ms. Pace, I am looking forward to many more. I am definitely a new fan!
December 9, 2012
I recently finished reading On the Island and when I learned about Pepper Pace and saw that she'd written a book about a couple stranded on an island I wanted to read her take on a similar situation.
This book has received a lot of great reviews. I was expecting a great read, but I didn't get that. We don't get a lot of details here. The entire time on the island we never got to experience a rainstorm. When Oceans and Marshall declare their love for each other I didn't buy it. It just seemed to come out of nowhere.
This story came across as very amateurish to me. I'll read Crash and see if I enjoy that story by Pepper Pace better.
ETA: Read Crash and that was an excellent book. 5 stars!
This book has received a lot of great reviews. I was expecting a great read, but I didn't get that. We don't get a lot of details here. The entire time on the island we never got to experience a rainstorm. When Oceans and Marshall declare their love for each other I didn't buy it. It just seemed to come out of nowhere.
This story came across as very amateurish to me. I'll read Crash and see if I enjoy that story by Pepper Pace better.
ETA: Read Crash and that was an excellent book. 5 stars!
July 11, 2014
Something a little different. Oceans Delano and Marshall Cohen are stranded on a deserted island when their plane crashes. Two people forced into a situation and finding love when they would never have gotten together otherwise. I like the story for the most part but I can't help not liking certain elements. It moved nicely though and kept my interest. Very thought-provoking at times. Also very informative on how to survive on a tropical island.
May 1, 2024
The ending to this was pretty rushed, and I wanted a little more clarification on some of their fights, but I LOVE stranded romances so I have to give it 5!
Also I don’t usually put trigger warnings in my reviews, but I felt like I should include this. TW: abortion (it doesn’t work but the h understandably didn’t want to bring a baby into the world to be stranded on the island, so she tries to make herself have a miscarriage)
Also I don’t usually put trigger warnings in my reviews, but I felt like I should include this. TW: abortion (it doesn’t work but the h understandably didn’t want to bring a baby into the world to be stranded on the island, so she tries to make herself have a miscarriage)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2017
I'm a voracious reader, & not particularly a reviewer – but I have to say something about this one. Normally, I am a Pepper Pace fan – I loved Beast, Crash, etc. But, what happened here?!
First of all the editing was an embarrassment (or should be) to whoever edited it ..."than" for "then"; "to" for "too"; "Ocean's" for "ocean", etc., etc., etc. And, I do mean ALL through this book to the point that I was seriously annoyed.
There was also something about the chemistry of these two people that just did nothing for me – I think it was part of a larger issue which I can only describe as a nearly complete lack of character development, in both of them .
But worst of all, in an unparalleled sense, is the blatant rip off of the long-wrecked slave ship / coffin!!
OMG... Can anyone say Robinson Crusoe ?! Sorry, Pepper, but Mr. DeFoe did this better than you (although I do give you credit for your version being almost IDENTICALLY good, if you know what I mean )... But unfortunately for you to ever have any credibility about this having been an original idea, he did at some 300 YEARS ahead of you .
I just can't see anything I could recommend re: this book, other than some descriptions of the scenery are pretty ... But for me Stranded just misses the mark... And I mean badly.
First of all the editing was an embarrassment (or should be) to whoever edited it ..."than" for "then"; "to" for "too"; "Ocean's" for "ocean", etc., etc., etc. And, I do mean ALL through this book to the point that I was seriously annoyed.
There was also something about the chemistry of these two people that just did nothing for me – I think it was part of a larger issue which I can only describe as a nearly complete lack of character development, in both of them .
But worst of all, in an unparalleled sense, is the blatant rip off of the long-wrecked slave ship / coffin!!
OMG... Can anyone say Robinson Crusoe ?! Sorry, Pepper, but Mr. DeFoe did this better than you (although I do give you credit for your version being almost IDENTICALLY good, if you know what I mean )... But unfortunately for you to ever have any credibility about this having been an original idea, he did at some 300 YEARS ahead of you .
I just can't see anything I could recommend re: this book, other than some descriptions of the scenery are pretty ... But for me Stranded just misses the mark... And I mean badly.
January 30, 2017
I'm sorry to say I really hated this book. It has a lot of good reviews so probably it's just me but i found so many problems with it I had to force myself to finish it.
First, the author focus A LOT on the fact that Oceans is black and Marshall's white. I get some people like specific fantasies but come on! Oceans is really surprised at the diferences between the black/white male sexual organs and Marshall wonders if all black women "have nipples darker than their skin" (umm, I believe ALL women have nipples darker than the skin but my appologies to all of those black women walking around with white nipples). And in case we don't get the constant reminders that there is a black/white dynamic, Marshall finds on the Island... a wrecked slave ship full of slave skeletons. Of course. I was expecting him to wonder if black and white skeletons were alike but I guess he was thinking "perhaps the ghosts of the past would attack the only living white man" (damn those racist ghosts!).
Another thing that bothered me was how they just knew how to properly live on a deserted Island: they made utensils out of clay and metal, they made soap, bread... Oceans knows every plant and fruit and Marshall managed to build a tree house "of the side of a two car garage"... Believable indeed.
The ending upset me and I think contains one of the worst paragraphs ever. A rich couple finds the Island to buy it and eventually find the couple, sleeping and shirtless, and then this happens: "jim (the husband) felt himself become erect with na intensity and speed that hadn't occured in years without the aid of a little blue pill". Gross. Then they awake the couple and explain that they are rescued, probably while everyone tries to ignore the old men erection.
First, the author focus A LOT on the fact that Oceans is black and Marshall's white. I get some people like specific fantasies but come on! Oceans is really surprised at the diferences between the black/white male sexual organs and Marshall wonders if all black women "have nipples darker than their skin" (umm, I believe ALL women have nipples darker than the skin but my appologies to all of those black women walking around with white nipples). And in case we don't get the constant reminders that there is a black/white dynamic, Marshall finds on the Island... a wrecked slave ship full of slave skeletons. Of course. I was expecting him to wonder if black and white skeletons were alike but I guess he was thinking "perhaps the ghosts of the past would attack the only living white man" (damn those racist ghosts!).
Another thing that bothered me was how they just knew how to properly live on a deserted Island: they made utensils out of clay and metal, they made soap, bread... Oceans knows every plant and fruit and Marshall managed to build a tree house "of the side of a two car garage"... Believable indeed.
The ending upset me and I think contains one of the worst paragraphs ever. A rich couple finds the Island to buy it and eventually find the couple, sleeping and shirtless, and then this happens: "jim (the husband) felt himself become erect with na intensity and speed that hadn't occured in years without the aid of a little blue pill". Gross. Then they awake the couple and explain that they are rescued, probably while everyone tries to ignore the old men erection.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2015
Another unique Love storystory told by Pepper pace. I loved it. This is a love story of Marshall and Oceans. As the title indicates these two I ship wrecked on an island in the Caribbean. Together they try to survive the hardships of being on the island by themselves. However there was one small part of the story that was left on finished I won't say what it was because it will spoil the story but you'll know it when you get to it in any event I still love the story and highly recommend the story. 4.5 stars.
February 1, 2014
Solid 4.5 Stars
Wow... I'm a little speechless with this one. It was another winner of course, but there were things here I wish could have gone a different way. Mainly concerning the course of their, Oceans & Marshall's, journey. But I do understand the "Why" of the destination here and I can't see it ending any other way.
Descriptive, heart breaking, beautiful, & passionate.
I would definitely recommend this read.
Wow... I'm a little speechless with this one. It was another winner of course, but there were things here I wish could have gone a different way. Mainly concerning the course of their, Oceans & Marshall's, journey. But I do understand the "Why" of the destination here and I can't see it ending any other way.
Descriptive, heart breaking, beautiful, & passionate.
I would definitely recommend this read.
June 30, 2017
4.5 stranded stars!
God, I absolutely love books like this. Totally devoured this one, could have read another 100 pages with more detail, I just love the whole surviving thing! The way they fell in love was beautiful, the erotic side of the story was awesome.
Loved the dual POV's. Wish though that it had been written in 1st person pov, as it lost something in its intensity by being written in 3rd.
God, I absolutely love books like this. Totally devoured this one, could have read another 100 pages with more detail, I just love the whole surviving thing! The way they fell in love was beautiful, the erotic side of the story was awesome.
Loved the dual POV's. Wish though that it had been written in 1st person pov, as it lost something in its intensity by being written in 3rd.
August 10, 2015
This was a pretty good read. I like stranded/survival stories. I did feel like the hero and heroine had it pretty easy on the island they were stranded on. That island had about everything they needed pretty easily come by. Still, the relationship stuff was pretty good and believable. The writing could use some polishing.
June 12, 2019
Re-read
May 30, 2013
Really enjoyed this book. I felt like I was able to connect to the characters and feel what they were going through.
November 7, 2013
This was another great read by Pepper Pace. I loved it and it just focused on the lead man and woman which I personally love. With your time and money.
Great read!
Great read!
September 14, 2014
I am a fan of Pepper Pace, don't get me wrong, but I'm not feeling this one. The sudden declaration of love at the halfway point...it came out of left field.
I am contributing to our day to day survival, making a pot or whatever, and bam! I suddenly love you? Not believing it.
Randomly, it jumps to a year and 5 months and all of a sudden a millionaire couple wants to view this island that is not for sale, really?
The ending, where do I begin?
They were hesitant to leave, they did not want to leave their hut and possessions, their pig that they fought so hard to catch...these people showing up out of the blue and whisking them away on a private plane was unbelievable. The story jumped to quickly at that point, like she was just rushing to end the story.
The coast guard and JCF Marine Division never attempted a search for these people. Marshall's family never contacted authorities to report a missing person's claim...not likely that a family member would not be frantically looking. Hell his boss should have been looking because his money was never deposited in the bank by Marshall. Isn't that what he was traveling to the islands for? The type of man that he was working for would not let millions go unanswered for...I'm just saying. This slave ship that was very random. No one ever patrolled around this island for hundreds of years to discover it? Mmm...Illogical
This was not very thought out to me. I love her other works, but this one...No way Jose!
I am contributing to our day to day survival, making a pot or whatever, and bam! I suddenly love you? Not believing it.
Randomly, it jumps to a year and 5 months and all of a sudden a millionaire couple wants to view this island that is not for sale, really?
The ending, where do I begin?
They were hesitant to leave, they did not want to leave their hut and possessions, their pig that they fought so hard to catch...these people showing up out of the blue and whisking them away on a private plane was unbelievable. The story jumped to quickly at that point, like she was just rushing to end the story.
The coast guard and JCF Marine Division never attempted a search for these people. Marshall's family never contacted authorities to report a missing person's claim...not likely that a family member would not be frantically looking. Hell his boss should have been looking because his money was never deposited in the bank by Marshall. Isn't that what he was traveling to the islands for? The type of man that he was working for would not let millions go unanswered for...I'm just saying. This slave ship that was very random. No one ever patrolled around this island for hundreds of years to discover it? Mmm...Illogical
This was not very thought out to me. I love her other works, but this one...No way Jose!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2013
I am fast becoming a fan of Pepper Pace. This is a great survival love story with everyday people who do extordiary things and love each other. This is a really sweet romance at it heart. The hero is respectful, admires, and likes the heroine with whom he finds himself stranded. The heroine also accepts the hero as how he is and is practical and clever. I love how they get to know each other and don't roll round in the sand first thing. There is a bit of culture clash in places because of their different backgrounds. However, mostly thier differences serve to enhance each other and help them survive. It is wonderful message in the book but done in a way that is not heavy handed. The crisis in the book that occur are real and compelling as is how the couple moves through these events.
There are ways in which this book could have become a five star with more character development and a longer HEA where we see the couple putting back together a new life after the island but the story is very good as it is.
I highly recommend you read this sweet, real, and sexy book.
There are ways in which this book could have become a five star with more character development and a longer HEA where we see the couple putting back together a new life after the island but the story is very good as it is.
I highly recommend you read this sweet, real, and sexy book.
February 20, 2021
So, I have no idea how this book got published (even self-published), how this author has apparently had a successful career as a writer, and worse, how people have given this book an average rating just under 4 stars. As an example, this is actually in the book:
It's poorly written, barely proofread, and parts of it are barely coherent. While I appreciate the author's willingness to take on tough subjects like inter-racial relationships and , I can honestly say this is one of the worst books I've ever read.
It's poorly written, barely proofread, and parts of it are barely coherent. While I appreciate the author's willingness to take on tough subjects like inter-racial relationships and , I can honestly say this is one of the worst books I've ever read.
December 7, 2012
So I needed a Pepper Pace fix and this is what I chose to pacify me..Well as usual Ms.Pace hit them with it. This is a story of anyone's worst nightmare. Giving birth on an island are you kidding me..The ship scene was an intense moment I think especially with the meaning behind it...I was like Wow, after how many years somebody just stumbled upon this ship. The two main characters had alot of time together they should know each other very well I thought. So that little tantrum Marshall was throughing and the hurtful words he said. I felt he should have known better. She was being practical if you ask me...Always a super ending.
February 17, 2019
This was a captivating story that demonstrates the range of talent and passion that Pepper Pace has as a dynamic author.
This Chica's works of literary art are Auto-Buy worthy.
Giving this one: 4 solid stars.
This Chica's works of literary art are Auto-Buy worthy.
Giving this one: 4 solid stars.
October 19, 2012
I liked this story.
July 4, 2013
Excellent read. It was great from cover to cover.
August 17, 2014
I am finding that I enjoy books by Pepper Pace, this book was no different. I enjoyed the read, the characters, the helplessness and hopelessness that they both felt, and the love that started to develop between them. Love not due to them being stuck on an island together and the any-port-in-a-storm-would-do mentally, but because they got to know one another and depend on one another and realized that despite where they were and their differences, there was a happiness and contentment that they were together. I personally would have gone stir crazy being stuck on an island! Talk about feeling claustrophobic, even in the wide open space and endless sky above me, being surrounded by water and not being able to come and go as I liked would have destroyed me mentally **shivers**. I would suggest this book to anyone, it was a good story and both characters brought a strength that helped them both survive.
December 14, 2012
I read On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves earlier this year so the idea of a similar story by Pepper Pace intrigued me. I have to say I enjoyed the first part of the book more than the last portion. Despite this, overall the style of writing is wonderful (as I feel is always the case with Ms. Pace). While I wasn't as excited about this book as I have been about some of the others, I definitely found this book to be worthwhile and entertaining.
June 20, 2017
Opposites attract?! Only on the outside were they opposites. On the inside, where it counts, they were perfectly matched. I love a strong man that cries and he knows it doesn't detract from his sense of manhood. I despise hyper-masculine men. This Marshall was a man that loved and took care of his woman. Oceans may be my most favorite heroinne. She was strong and sure while being sexy and a bit shy. She was Grace and Beauty.
September 1, 2014
3.5 stars
I really like ~stranded~ stories, so this was definitely a must-read for me. The plot was interesting, it was a quick read, and though I was hooked with it, some parts seemed somehow implausible, like how their relationship developed (trying not to spoil it for anyone). Also, at the ending I said a little "huh?".
I really like ~stranded~ stories, so this was definitely a must-read for me. The plot was interesting, it was a quick read, and though I was hooked with it, some parts seemed somehow implausible, like how their relationship developed (trying not to spoil it for anyone). Also, at the ending I said a little "huh?".
March 10, 2013
The best I can give was 3.5 stars, sorry, To Ms. Pace, but I was not feeling this book at all. The Characters were lovely, but I guess it was the Stranded situation. Again I do apologize to Ms. Pace, I truly love her books, but this one wasn't felt right for me.
April 1, 2013
This is my second novel by Pepper Pace, and I enjoyed. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more.
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